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I often write about the familial connection to the foods we eat. The moments that lock in the collective memory each time we join together over a meal, the ones we remember for a lifetime. Some harken back to childhood holidays, and are rekindled by the scent of our grandmother’s apple pie, or a perfectly roasted ham at a long-ago Easter dinner. Others recall more recent gatherings, but each revolves around food. They wait in our consciousness like an unspoken anamnesis, to be released by a familiar smell or taste. We bite into a slice of that familiar pie, and suddenly Grandma is alive again, smiling at us from across the table, handing us a napkin for those inevitable spills. These fragile tendrils of connection are part of the fibre of our souls, reuniting us with our pasts, and brightening our todays. It is the most important of all rituals in human existence, embracing the best of life while breaking bread.

Nowhere has this sentiment of the abundant joys of home and hearth been more evident than it is at Homestead in Oakland.

Steelhead Salmon, Black-Eyed Peas, Carrots

The decor is a lovely sort of “welcoming homespun” elegance, just fancy enough for a date, but open and charmingly familial in its intrinsic warmth. The food itself is the freshest interpretation of “New American,” where everything is sourced “farm to table,” and the food is prepared to reflect the intrinsic properties native to each ingredient. The wine list is crazy extensive, if a little pricy, but nobody says you have to order from the “cellar” list. One can secure a perfectly lovely pairing from their “by-the-glass” selection if on a budget.

But Seriously… that asparagus…

I went there recently with the Better Half. We were out on one of our date nights, and had been meaning to get to Homestead, so on this occasion we made it a priority. I am so glad we did. The menu offers three courses, each one gradually increasing in portion size over the course of the options. We began our meal with our “First” course selections, his was the Butter Lettuce Salad with Blood Oranges, and mine was the Asparagus and Soft-cooked Egg. We share everything, so I was able to sample both appetizers amply. His salad was light and crisp and perfectly dressed, and I found myself having to pull back from guzzling up all his lovely orange slices. It was a lovely palate refresher with which to start a meal. Mine, however, was out of this world. I like asparagus well enough, but I’d ordered the dish because I’m obsessed with soft cooked eggs. (Obsessed.) The egg did not disappoint, but the asparagus was perhaps the best I’ve ever tasted. Each stalk was roasted to perfection, and without heavy-handed saucing or over-seasoning, the chef had managed to simply express the flavor of that particular vegetable as well as anyone possibly could. It was at that moment I realized that they were serious at Homestead about letting the flavors of the food shine through.

Fire Roasted Poulet with Yamsflavors of the food shine through.

“SECONDI”

For our “Second” choice, I selected the Pork with Wild Mushrooms and the BH had the Truffled Tagliatelle. The pork dish arrived with two different cuts, a beautiful sparerib and a moderately-sized piece of pork loin. The delightfully sticky black bean sauce gave the dish a sense of backyard barbeque, with the meat of that sparerib fairly falling off the bone. The meat had picked up all that beautiful smoke from the hearth, and the hearts of palm were succulent and flavorful. The buttery house made tagliatelle was toothsomely al dente, the aroma of truffle
a heady perfume with every bite. Really splendid.

And for the Main Course

Our third course choices were a Steelhead Salmon for the BH and I ordered the Fire-roasted Poulet with Mashed Yams. The trout was buttery bliss. Soft and malleable, with a gorgeous flavor, accompanied by a lovely serving of black-eyed peas and spinach. When salmon is done right, it’s an experience not to be missed, and this was a perfect piece of fish. My chicken was everything I could have hoped for. Lovely strips of roasted chicken breast that just melted in the mouth; the yams were a nice accompaniment of sweet to offset the savory.

Desserts were similarly well executed, a lovely Orange Creamsicle Concoction and a dish of Profiteroles, Dulce de Leche and Chocolate. But the overarching delight was the sense of hearth and home that pervades every bite. Comfort food, elevated and executed well, is just as rewarding in its own right as any haute cuisine with all the modern bells and whistles of added “entertainment.” This is Grandma’s kitchen, food executed to extoll all its natural properties and flavors, without a lot of fuss and distraction. Just a stellar plate of food.

Dessert of Orange Cream and Cookies

If you haven’t been already, take the family, and check it out for yourself. Relive a few cherished memories, or make some new memories of your own.